Financial Planning

February 4, 2020Whether you’re an individual or a business owner looking to stay on top of your finances, it’s important to plan out your budget and overall cash flow. Cash flow planning means different things in different contexts. For an individual, it’s… read more…

February 4, 2020Illinois levies no inheritance tax but has its own estate tax. In this article, we break down Illinois inheritance laws, including what happens if you die without a valid will and where you may stand if you’re not part of the decedent’s… read more…

February 4, 2020Oregon charges its own estate tax in addition to the federal estate tax, but it doesn’t charge an inheritance tax. What follows is a guide to the state’s inheritance laws, including what happens if there is no valid will; how Oregon state law treats different family situations; and special inheritance laws specific to Oregon. Do… read more…

February 4, 2020Maryland levies both an inheritance tax and an estate tax, in addition to the federal estate tax. Here is an overview of what you need to know about probate and how the state’s laws vary according to different family situations,… read more…

January 31, 2020Investing in stock is a great way to diversify your portfolio and potentially build wealth. Most investors tend to buy common stock. That security grants the stockholder partial equity ownership of a corporation. Here’s a breakdown of the ins and… read more…

January 30, 2020Every investor has a different risk tolerance with regard to their investment selections. A risk profile is a broad view of an individual’s risk tolerance. A risk profile can also refer to potential threats to an organization. However, our use… read more…

January 29, 2020Long-term care includes a number of personal care services that may be required for people who have ongoing health conditions. Setting up a plan for this is important to ensure that you or your loved ones are taken care of… read more…

January 28, 2020When retirement approaches, one of the biggest decisions to make is where you’ll live, including whether to stay in your current home or move to an independent living community. One of the main considerations is the cost of independent living,… read more…

January 28, 2020If you’re looking for a source of income and capital appreciation, you may want to consider buying an apartment complex. An apartment complex is generally categorized as a residential property with five or more units. Compared to single-family residences, duplexes, triplexes and… read more…

January 27, 2020The term “garden leave” refers to a company’s practice of paying an employee who is leaving to stay away from work and delay seeking employment elsewhere for a period of time. They’re also usually asked not to divulge sensitive information… read more…

January 24, 2020Sign-on bonuses have become increasingly common in recent years. The tighter job market likely plays a role in their newfound popularity. These bonuses sometimes occur more often in some fields than others. But job market demand often fuels them. Here’s what… read more…

January 22, 2020It’s easy to get confused about what the terms “mutual fund” and “index fund” refer to. The two terms refer to distinct categories: Mutual fund refers to a fund’s structure, whereas index fund refers to a fund’s investment strategy. Many,… read more…

January 21, 2020Owning a horse isn’t quite as expensive as you might think. However, you should still be ready to drop a few thousand dollars if you’re looking for an equine member of the family. It’s estimated that there are nearly 7.2… read more…

January 17, 2020When it comes to asset allocation, there’s more than one strategy you can follow. Tactical asset allocation is a moderately active approach to portfolio management that focuses on keeping pace with market trends. It’s all about making adjustments to your… read more…

January 17, 2020Strategic asset allocation is a long-term investment strategy that focuses on setting and maintaining a predetermined mix of assets in a portfolio, tailored to an investor’s goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. By diversifying across various asset classes – such as stocks, bonds, and cash – strategic asset allocation aims to balance risk and potential… read more…

January 17, 2020If you’re including an annuity in your retirement income plan, there’s an important concept you’ll want to understand: market value adjustment (MVA). An MVA may impact your annuity contract if you decide to withdraw funds or surrender the annuity before the contract term ends. This adjustment can apply to various types of annuities, and may… read more…

January 17, 2020Corporations regularly need infusions of money – perhaps to hire new employees, fund new projects or raise money for an acquisition. In this situation, they typically face a choice between two options: debt financing and equity financing. Debt financing is… read more…

January 16, 2020Do you dream not only of an island getaway but of getting away to your very own island? Good news. It’s actually possible to buy an island, and it may not be as difficult as you think. However, you’ll have… read more…

January 16, 2020An asset’s total return measures how much value it generates in total. This includes both capital gains (when an asset gains market value) and income (when an asset makes a direct payment). Total return is one measure of an asset’s… read more…

January 16, 2020Many investors look at their portfolios piecemeal. They measure an asset by how much money it made, or by growth. For investors taking a comprehensive view, however, there is the idea of Total Return. It includes dividends, capital gains, payments… read more…

January 16, 2020If you own any investments, capital appreciation is probably your goal. Capital appreciation occurs when an investment asset gains value as reflected by its market price. When a stock’s price goes up, say, or when a home’s property value increases,… read more…

January 16, 2020A pyramid scheme is an investment scam. Often they are business opportunity scams that solicit people to pay to distribute products or services. They, in turn, recruit additional distributors. Many people think of supplement sales when they think of a… read more…

January 15, 2020If you own an annuity, the part of your contract that earns returns is called the annuity fund, and it’s important to understand how it works for different types of annuities. In other words, all three of the primary categories… read more…

January 8, 2020Retirement income can come from numerous sources, including your employer’s 401(k) plan, an individual retirement account and taxable brokerage accounts. Bonds and annuities can also help create regular income, but they work in different ways. That’s because one is a… read more…

January 3, 2020Annuities can help you create additional income in retirement beyond of what you expect to get from your 401(k) or a similar tax-advantaged account. Thanks to the SECURE Act of 2019, purchasing an annuity from a 401(k) is now a possibility. But does an annuity in a 401(k) make sense for your financial situation? It’s an… read more…